activism

Rupi Kaur has taken on social media and won. Photos from her series focusing on the natural process of being on her period were removed from Instagram, even though there was no nudity or pornographic aspect to the pictures. It was, in fact, the menstrual blood itself that led to the photos being removed by Instagram. Twice.

Instagram has since apologized for removing the photos, but I, for one, don’t believe the social media site is sorry at all. After all, Facebook is notorious for similar removal of photos that show women in the natural act of breastfeeding their babies. However, because women’s natural breasts being used for their natural purpose of nourishing infants is too icky for the patriarchal institutions of social media, breastfeeding and NIP pictures are verboten. And yet, women can always be shown in skimpy lingerie, barely-there bikinis, or sexualized in some other context, and that’s perfectly fine.

Anyone who is shocked or disgusted by Rupi Kaur’s photos is actually shocked or disgusted by the very process that continues this species. Menstruating girls and women are ridiculed on a regular basis by young males, older males, boyfriends, husbands, films, comedic TV shows, and anyone else who doesn’t understand or appreciate what we put up with for decades of our lifetimes.

Our periods begin when we are around 10 years old and happen every month until we are around 50 or 55 — or older. Twelve periods per year, multiplied by 40 to 45 years of menstruation, equals 480 to 540 periods. At an average of one week each, that means women spend 480 to 540 weeks — that is, 9.2 to 10.4 YEARS actively bleeding. Not to mention the spotting before, the spotting after, the cramps before, during, and after a period, the headaches, even nausea, the chaos and uncertainty of peri-menopause, and other side effects men never have to experience directly.

Men also never have to experience the embarrassment of bleeding through their clothes in public; always keeping a restroom within eyesight in case of a flooding emergency; sitting for a time only to stand and see a biohazard stain on the chair; or skipping going out in public all together except for necessities such as work; bleeding through the sheets at nighttime; having to spot-clean the mattress in the middle of the night when you’re half-asleep, then sleep to the side of the bed so you don’t have to sleep on a cold, wet spot; or toddling to the bathroom with your thighs clenched together because you’re afraid of a big, bloody clot sliding out of your vagina and landing on the carpet; having to clean the bathroom floor, even spot-clean the bathmat, clean the toilet seat every time you go, even clean the wall if the weight of a blood-soaked tampon garnered too much velocity when being pulled out, flinging blood outward; feeling the sticky blood stuck in your ass crack; using miles of toilet paper to make sure there’s no sign your blood was ever there. Because we wouldn’t want anyone to know that women’s bodies have a purpose other than being ogled or used by men.

Women are ridiculed for this very basic act called menstruation when it should be celebrated. Without our periods — without our uteruses, humanity would end.

Women put up with a lot just being female. Societal ridicule and male-dominated institutions do not need to add to the shame already heaped on women just for being women. So I congratulate Rupi Kaur for standing up for herself and for all girls and women. See more of her pictures and read her story on her website.

I finally got to see Jon Stewart’s announcement that he’s leaving “The Daily Show”. This is very sad for all of us who appreciate the amazing coverage he provides to politics. Stewart’s main audience is the bulk of 18 to 34 year olds and most progressive liberals in every age-bracket, while his arch-nemesis, FOX News (a.k.a. FAUX News) consistently feeds the fears of the 68+ crowd. I can only hope Stewart will change his mind and stick it out until the 2016 POTUS elections.

I remember the 2008 presidential election process. That was an emotional election cycle because, for the first time in my life, I was able to vote for a woman in the primary to have the chance to become the President of the United States. As I left the elementary school where I voted, I remember crying out of sheer amazement at how far women had come just by having Hillary Clinton on the ballot. She didn’t win the primary, but when it came time to vote in the main election that November, I voted for a black man, Barack Obama, another historical first for me and so many others who value justice, equality, human rights, and other progressive liberal ideals.

I watched Comedy Central’s 2008 election coverage online, with Stewart and Stephen Colbert at the anchor desk. It was so close. And I cried with happiness and amazement right along with Jon Stewart when Obama was elected.

I watched online during the 2012 POTUS elections as well. The presidential debates were harrowing as Romney seemed to win people’s favor … until his and his wife’s true colors came shining through with various comments directed at “you people” and his “binders of women”. Once again, Obama won. Thank the gods.

I cannot imagine Jon Stewart not being there when Hillary or Bernie is elected President of the United States in 2016. I hope he reconsiders when he is leaving. The progressive liberals need him. No one will be able to fill Jon Stewart’s shoes.

“ArousedWoman Wednesday’s” first installment is on YouTube! Every Wednesday, I will bring a topic close to the heart of ArousedWoman to my YouTube channel.

In fact, each day of the week, I will talk about a different topic. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay up to date on the goings-on.

For this first AW Wednesday, I share my recent experience of almost losing my Facebook account due to a nipple-pic I posted, and I rant about the ridiculous decision of the Supreme Court to side with a lower court that discriminates against breastfeeding moms.

Check out the video, share it widely to get the word out, and leave a comment on my YouTube page and/or here!

In this latest interview, I talk with Polly Superstar, author of the new book, Polly: Sex Culture Revolutionary, which details her journey of discovering herself and helping others along the way. Polly is the founder of the famed Kinky Salon in San Francisco, CA, and a sex positive activist.

in the interview, we discussed anorgasmia, the problem with traditional porn, the evils of patriarchy on women’s sexuality, and of course, Polly’s book, which is out now.

A Florida court won’t allow the state’s Supreme Court to hear Chase Ryan Nebus-Hironimus’ case in which the father wants the 4-year-old boy circumcised, while the mother has fought valiantly against the unnecessary mutilation of her son. The mother has been put on a gag order, which is a violation of her First Amendment rights as well as a violation of her right to speak up for her son’s right to choose what happens to his body when he is 18+. She cannot even tell her son that she opposes the heinous surgery.

The father wants the circumcision on his son because that’s the “normal thing to do”. Actually, it’s NOT normal. Having foreskin to protect the penis glans is what is normal — that’s why boys are BORN THAT WAY.

Circumcision is unnecessary, and it’s sick. Circumcision on a non-consenting person is a violation of his basic human rights to body autonomy and self-determination. This case is a prime example of no justice for a child who cannot speak for himself and whose wishes would be railroaded by his ignorant father. Circumcision is sexual abuse, and the Florida judge just condoned it.

The only person who should decide what happens to the anatomy of the male’s penis is the man himself. No parent, no social custom, no religion is more important than what the male wants for his own body.

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"Arouse" means "to stir to action or response; to awaken." An ActivistArtist(TM), Trish Causey has dedicated her life to changing the world for the better through activism. On ArousedWoman.com and ArousedWomanBlog.com, Trish is proud to debunk myths, stereotypes, and misogynist misinformation about women in society and religion, the female body, female sexuality, and the orgasmic process in both women and men. A professional freelance writer and proud owner of a vagina, Trish Causey is an award-winning composer/writer and successful radio show host. Revel in Trishtopia by following her @AnArousedWoman.

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